You Say Sandwich, We Say Yeah!

The last time I visited Vancouver, I made sure to include a stop into La Grotta del Formaggio , an Italian grocery store on Commercial drive that does this monster sandwiches. It's hard to find a good sandwich in that town, but this place kept me satiated, which is no easy task. Pictured above is a mountain of capicola with roasted red peppers, eggplant, red onion, and provolone on whole wheat. Expect long line-ups, but that time is best used to think about which meat and cheese and toppings you want. Do you really want a whole focaccia, or just half? (I got a whole loaf). I was happy to see they even offer whole wheat focaccia bread that is as tasty and fluffy as white bread, as it's a slightly healthier option, because it's still Vancouver.

Man I love Reuben's in Montreal. From top to bottom we have the beef melt, the classic reubens, and the beef dip.  Surprisingly, I love the beef dip the most, as that jus is killer! Real classic steakhouse mood with all your favorite heart attack dishes, their sandwiches are hardly an afterthought to the bevy of entrees. In fact, I would say their sandwiches are the real stars. What I love most about the beef dip is how juicy the baguette already feels even before you dip it. This is a fine dip sandwich, which is hard to do. So many disappointments have been experienced before this one, which is perhaps why it's so elevated here. The reuben is A+, but in a town that does smoked meat every which way, I don't remember it as distinctly better or worse. The melt I will probably not get again, as I was just curious, but I'd rather take the dip any day. Mmm Mmm Reuben's! 

Hangry and wandering the streets of Peterborough, my travel companion and I spotted a crowd outside of Sam's Deli . They looked sporty and satisfied, so that was a good a bet as any. With quite an extensive menu list, including gluten-free bread for my t.c., I settled on a Peterborough smoked meat while she had a turkey club on g.f. bread. I don't say this lightly, but this was one of the best dan sandwiches around! Even on g.f. bread it received two thumbs up! Fresh quality bread on the soft side makes such a luxurious sandwich, with all the remnants of a homemade sandwich, but superb quality cuts of meat folded inside. All meats were cured and smoked in house from locally sourced farms, and the difference is exceptional. I kind of wanted a second sandwich, but I did not want to ruin the experience by taking it on the road. Sam's alone is reason enough to go back to Peterborough, which didn't give me the best vibes, but great sandwiches. While the side potato ...

Was this sandwich any good? Where did it come from? I have been traveling so much this year that I have lost count of where and when these sandwiches were eaten. The big square plates and dark table top make me think I was in Montreal, as why would I order such a thing in Toronto, where I could easily make a superior version at home. But I could have had a sudden craving for halloumi, as the bread looks flimsy, and Montreal rarely does flimsy bread. I have a sensation that the salad was good, and this sandwich was actually all right, despite the bread. The plate is too large for what it holds, I wonder if this was some kind of airport meal I had treated myself to as this doesn't look like something I would order by choice at a restaurant of my choosing, but something somewhere where options were severely limited. If pressed, I would probably order it again.

Tostos is known for their pizzas, and their pastas, but they also serve sandwiches and salads. Having tried all four categories, their namesake as a pizza and pasta bar should just serve those things. True, I want to still try their meatball sandwich, but on this day for this meeting, I had the cold cut sandwich. The ciabatta bun was not impressive, nor was the serving size. I remember the meats were heavily cured, but I wish it came on a thin baguette, so that I could enjoy a better meat to bread ratio with each bite. Since their home made pizza dough was so good, in that square Roman style, I thought their bread would be better. Ah well!

I ate here twice and got take out once over a span of a week in Winnipeg. Banh Mi King just seemed to have what I was craving, starting with this taster of their assorted banh mi. The slaw and dressing ate first, and it was both acidic and spicy with a nice crunch. Moving on to the sandwich, the meats were well-made and no skimping on portions. I did want more pickled vegetables, and could have asked for as such next time, but this was the only time I got a banh mi. Does this mean I didn't really like it? I mean, the bread wasn't toasted, but I don't recall that being a problem. Or was I eager to try their extensive menu ? I never did try their baoger, which I'm not sure fits into this blog, but on sandwich alone, I would and have tried this place again, and again.

Formerly known as Fitzroy, or just in its same location, I had very fond memories of the Sherbrook Street Deli's smoked meat sandwich, which in all the years since I last had it, I thought was tongue. So upon returning to this deli, I ordered the tongue. In fact, I double downed on it. Getting twice as much meat as I remember how succulent and moist it was. The sandwich that came was not the sandwich I once had. This meat either needed another round in the pressure cooker, as it was still quite full of sinew. My dining companion had hers (regular portion) with a schmear of liver pate, and that was a good call. The slaw was decent, but forgettable, as were their kettle chips, but they do a good pickle. I ate this hulking pile of tongue meat, and wondered if I had simply ordered the wrong sandwich, or if that wonderful flaky salty meat memory will just have to remain a memory.